


There's always an after

by Melie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Drunkenness, Introspection, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Pre-Relationship, Relationship(s), Season/Series 03 Spoilers, Spoilers, implied Takinoue/Shimada
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 12:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11829153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melie/pseuds/Melie
Summary: Contains spoilers on Season 3, including its ending.The adults meet after the match to get a drink together. Or more like, ten drinks. And although Keishin is obviously obsessed with the day's events, Takeda is never far behind in his thoughts.





	There's always an after

The evening had started well, as it was bound to. It also ended well, although only Keishin would remember most of that.

“I'm so happy!!”

The line was just fresh out of Takeda's mouth, and none of them had any idea how many times they would hear it in the hours that would unfold. For now, with the students safely sent back to their homes, all four of them were starting their own private celebrations. Alcohol included. Obviously.

“I think we all are.”

Shimada's voice was weaker than usual, probably still sore from all the cheering. There was a hint of fatigue in his eyes, which Keishin could only understand, feeling the same hint pretty much everywhere in his own body.

“Oh yeah! Let's get the party started!!”

Takinoue, on the other hand, was full of energy. He finished his first glass in one gulp and immediately asked for another.

“Those kids were AMAZING!” he exclaimed, once or twice in the course of the evening. “I mean I knew they were good, but today, they were GOOD!!”

“I'm really proud of Yamaguchi,” Shimada concurred on the first occurence. “Sure, he still needs to work on that serve, but he's been doing really well.”

“And _those_ two, what do you even FEED them?”

“Hinata will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him,” Takeda stated, before musing, half to himself: “Oh, I'm so happy...”

Keishin drank at his own pace, savouring taste after taste of his favourite beer. He observed as Shimada's cheeks took a pinkish glow, noticed how he seemed to progressively lean on to Takinoue's shoulder the drunker he became. Yuusuke himself seemed fine, although Keishin had spent enough evenings drinking with him to know that he would drop suddenly, almost out of nowhere.

“I'm shooo happy!”

The alcohol was quickly getting to Takeda as well. Another well-known situation by now. Keishin thought back to the first time they'd gone out like this, at the same restaurant. At the time, he'd seen the teacher as little more than a pain in his arse, in spite of his budding interest for the team Takeda was representing. Eventually, the man himself had become the subject of the same budding interest. Keishin appreciated, and even admired, his enthusiasm and devotion to Karasuno. And even the stubborness that had so irritated him on their first encounters had grown more and more appealing, especially since it wasn't directed at him any more.

Though he could imagine that their domestic disputes would be quite colourful, if they ever went down that road.

It wasn't the first time he'd considered it. To be perfectly honest (he was an honest man, but only alcohol could bring him to reveal certain things, even to himself), Keishin had felt a bit of a pang the first time Takeda had shown up at his shop, some time after calling him. The determination on his face. His stern and polite tone. His messy hair. His suit. Even the bags under his eyes.

Keishin had always had something for the serious types. (And the suit helped too.)

He'd let it go, though, because he also wasn't one to fall for someone at first sight. And because he hadn't planned on actually doing what the guy was asking him to.

Things hadn't exactly turned out that way, though.

Weeks had passed, they'd shared drinks, meals, time, stories. It wasn't a crush, more of an appreciation. That could possibly have the potential of being a crush. Someday. Maybe. In the future.

So what if Keishin actually tried to picture what it'd be like to have a relationship with the guy, every now and then. It was just his imagination.

And what if Takeda's enthusiasm for their team never failed to bring a smile to his face. No one could resist that.

No, he wasn't too far gone yet.

* * *

 

“I'm shooo happyy!!”

Shimada was now fast asleep on Takinoue's lap, and the latter probably hadn't noticed how he kept stroking his friend's hair.

Maybe someday they'd do double dates, all four of them. It was not as if it would actually change anything other than relationship status and how much touching was involved in between drinks.

“And then your setter... fooosh!! And the little one... zoom!! How do they even DO THAT?”

“They're the best! Our kids are the best.”

“Are we calling them 'our kids', now, _sensei_?” Keishin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We are. Because. They are.”

“That's a lot of kids, Takeda.”

“Are you guys gonna ADOPT all of them?”

“Don't think that's the plan, no.”

Keishin had always been proud of how well he took to alcohol. He didn't lose his trail of thoughts, and managed to remain coherent for a long, long time. Which allowed him to drink more, and enjoy it more. Especially when his friends were acting like idiots.

And that, they absolutely were.

* * *

 

“I'm shoo happee!!”

“ _Sensei_ , do you know how crunched up your face looks right now? Also, that's the eighth time you've given me that exact line.”

Takinoue had managed to lie Shimada on the floor, even placing his head comfortably on a cushion, before performing his usual move, which Keishin liked to refer to as the Drop. What had been dropped, precisely, was Takinoue's head. On the table. Where he was now fast asleep.

So that only left Takeda and him. And Takeda was far, far gone too. Which didn't prevent Keishin from talking to him. He even laid down the start of a plan for the team.

And tried not to pay attention to how close Takeda's face got to his own every few minutes. Or to how much the alcohol made him want to close that distance and finally kiss the guy.

Eventually, when the teacher lost his ability to listen (and once he was too drunk to even utter that silly line), Keishin got up, settled their bills, and shook Shimada's shoulder. Makoto wasn't long to wake up, although not in the best state, and between the two of them they managed to carry Takinoue, first, then Takeda, up to their taxi.

Back home, Keishin didn't fall asleep straight away, which was unusual after such a night. His mind kept going back to the match but also, mainly, to the presence that had remained at his side throughout.

Eventually, he got up, put his alarm clock on, and placed a bottle of water and an aspirin next to him – he would not need more than one.

Which was good, because he'd have important business to attend in the morning.

* * *

 

He had not expected the door to open within the next twenty minutes (and had planned to be ringing the bell pretty much constantly in the mean time), which is why Keishin was tremendously surprised when a very pale but definitely awake Takeda let him in. He immediately handed him the coffee he was holding.

“Here, that should help.”

“Hmm.”

Showing up before noon after such a night was probably a bit mean on his part, but Keishin told himself that it was payback for Takeda being so damn persistent earlier on in the year.

“What... nngh.”

“It's okay, _sensei_ , I'll do the talking. You just sit down.”

Ordering the man around in his own house was also quite delightful.

Takeda did as he was told, pulling out a chair and pretty much falling into it. He massaged his temples before turning his eyes towards his guest. No glasses. Keishin held his gaze for a moment, noticing how much life it seem to contain in spite of the huge hungover that probably plagued the poor guy.

Which reminded him.

“I've also brought you some aspirin.”

He fumbled in his pocket for it, then went to get water. He hadn't been much in that house, only a couple of times when he'd walked the teacher home – Takeda was such a lightweight compared to him, it was ridiculous. Once, he'd even watched him stumble up to his bed and fall down to it, head first and fully clothed. Keishin had just left, then, his very presence completely forgotten.

“There you go.”

“Thanks.”

The word was barely recognisable, but it was a start.

“So. There's something I wanted to tell you.”

Keishin pulled a chair for himself in front of Takeda's and sat on it, hands gripping his knees, once again looking the teacher right in the eye.

“Thought I'd better not wait, especially since I should have said it yesterday. You really need to know how much you've done for these kids.”

Takeda opened his mouth, but Keishin shook his head before continuing.

“And I don't just mean by recruiting me. You've done your best to secure them practice matches. You've pestered your way through everyone and everything until you got them what they needed. And now here we are. They've won. Their skills may be their own, and I may have trained them, but don't think for one second that your contribution hasn't been noticed.”

With this, he smiled, and got up.

“On that, I better go. Let me know when you reach the land of the living.”

“Stay for brunch?”

It was tempting.

He'd probably have to cook said brunch himself, given Takeda's present state. There wouldn't be much talking involved. And, well, it was doubtless that their relationship would progress in any way on that day.

On the other hand, there would be other occasions, perhaps more suitable. There was always an after. After practice. After a match. A drink for a win. A drink for a loss. Wouldn't that be more pleasant than sitting next to someone with a splitting headache?

Probably.

“Why not. Guess I better go and check what you have in your fridge.”

“Help yourself.”

Keishin smiled, and did as he was told.

After all, someday, he might be spending a lot of time in that house.

“Also. Thanks.”

“You're welcome, _sensei_.”

“You're. A good guy. Keishin.”

“Well _, Ittetsu_... hopefully, one day, you'll know exactly how good.”

 


End file.
